French Opera, 1730-1830
Title | French Opera, 1730-1830 PDF eBook |
Author | David Charlton |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 414 |
Release | 2000 |
Genre | History |
ISBN |
The majority of these collected essays date from 1992 onwards, three of them having been specially expanded for this volume. Drawing on recent archival research and new musicological theory, they investigate distinctive qualities in French opera from early opéra comique to early grand opera. 'Media' is interpreted in terms of both narrative systems and practical theatre resources. One group of essays identifies narrative systems in 'minuet-scenes', in the diegetic romance, and in special uses of musical motives. Another group concerns the theory and æsthetics of opera, in which uses of metaphor help us interpret audience reception. A third group focuses on orchestral and staging practices, brought together in a new theory of the 'melodrama model' linking various genres from the 1780s with the world of the 1820s. French opera's relation with literature and politics is a continuing theme, explored in writings on prison scenes, Ossian, and public-private dramaturgy in grand opera. David Charlton has written widely on French music and opera topics for over 25 years. The selection of his articles presented here focuses on the period 1730-1830 when Paris was a hotbed of influential ideas in music and music theatre, with many of these ideas taken up by foreign composers. This volume assesses the French contribution to the development of Classical and Romantic styles and genres which has hitherto not received the attention it deserves.
French Opera 1730-1830: Meaning and Media
Title | French Opera 1730-1830: Meaning and Media PDF eBook |
Author | David Charlton |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Pages | 390 |
Release | 2024-10-28 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 104023190X |
The majority of these collected essays date from 1992 onwards, three of them having been specially expanded for this volume. Drawing on recent archival research and new musicological theory, they investigate distinctive qualities in French opera from early opéra comique to early grand opera. ’Media’ is interpreted in terms of both narrative systems and practical theatre resources. One group of essays identifies narrative systems in ’minuet-scenes’, in the diegetic romance, and in special uses of musical motives. Another group concerns the theory and æsthetics of opera, in which uses of metaphor help us interpret audience reception. A third group focuses on orchestral and staging practices, brought together in a new theory of the 'melodrama model’ linking various genres from the 1780s with the world of the 1820s. French opera’s relation with literature and politics is a continuing theme, explored in writings on prison scenes, Ossian, and public-private dramaturgy in grand opera. David Charlton has written widely on French music and opera topics for over 25 years. The selection of his articles presented here focuses on the period 1730-1830 when Paris was a hotbed of influential ideas in music and music theatre, with many of these ideas taken up by foreign composers. This volume assesses the French contribution to the development of Classical and Romantic styles and genres which has hitherto not received the attention it deserves.
Popular Opera in Eighteenth-Century France
Title | Popular Opera in Eighteenth-Century France PDF eBook |
Author | David Charlton |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 393 |
Release | 2021-12-16 |
Genre | Music |
ISBN | 1316515842 |
A major re-orientation in understanding opera, exploring musical comedies with spoken dialogue previously excluded from historical accounts.
French Grand Opera and the Historical Imagination
Title | French Grand Opera and the Historical Imagination PDF eBook |
Author | Sarah Hibberd |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 279 |
Release | 2009-04-30 |
Genre | Music |
ISBN | 0521885620 |
Closely examining five French operas, this book reveals how and why grand opera sought to bring the past alive.
Opera in the Age of Rousseau
Title | Opera in the Age of Rousseau PDF eBook |
Author | David Charlton |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 437 |
Release | 2012-10-25 |
Genre | Music |
ISBN | 0521887607 |
A wide-ranging account of opera on stage and in society in the age of Rousseau, from Rameau to Gluck.
Grétry's Operas and the French Public
Title | Grétry's Operas and the French Public PDF eBook |
Author | R.J. Arnold |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Pages | 245 |
Release | 2017-07-05 |
Genre | Music |
ISBN | 1134803699 |
Why, in the dying days of the Napoleonic Empire, did half of Paris turn out for the funeral of a composer? The death of André Ernest Modeste Grétry in 1813 was one of the sensations of the age, setting off months of tear-stained commemorations, reminiscences and revivals of his work. To understand this singular event, this interdisciplinary study looks back to Grétry’s earliest encounters with the French public during the 1760s and 1770s, seeking the roots of his reputation in the reactions of his listeners. The result is not simply an exploration of the relationship between a musician and his audiences, but of developments in musical thought and discursive culture, and of the formation of public opinion over a period of intense social and political change. The core of Grétry’s appeal was his mastery of song. Distinctive, direct and memorable, his melodies were exported out of the opera house into every corner of French life, serving as folkloristic tokens of celebration and solidarity, longing and regret. Grétry’s attention to the subjectivity of his audiences had a profound effect on operatic culture, forging a new sense of democratic collaboration between composer and listener. This study provides a reassessment of Grétry’s work and musical thought, positioning him as a major figure who linked the culture of feeling and the culture of reason - and who paved the way for Romantic notions of spectatorial absorption and the power of music.
Music, Pantomime and Freedom in Enlightenment France
Title | Music, Pantomime and Freedom in Enlightenment France PDF eBook |
Author | Hedy Law |
Publisher | Boydell & Brewer |
Pages | 287 |
Release | 2020 |
Genre | Enlightenment |
ISBN | 178327560X |
How did composers and performers use the lost art of pantomime to explore and promote the Enlightenment ideals of free expression?